'...and I say this in the presence of the vice-chancellor.'

Lord Adonis challenged a university vice chancellor to halve his £295,000 salary so students could be offered cheaper fees.

Labour peer Adonis, who once headed Tony Blair’s policy unit, rounded on Southbank University vice-chancellor David Phoenix live on air during a BBC Radio 4 interview on the Today programme.

He said universities were “coining it” and the salaries of highly-paid staff should be reduced dramatically before getting into a heated row with Phoenix over what benefits he got beyond his basic salary.

Adonis added no university had produced figures to show their university’s arts and social studies courses, among others, cost £9,250 to deliver or that they are worth such a sum.

David Phoenix Southbank University vice chancellor

He said: “My own view is that Southbank University, and I say this in the presence of the vice-chancellor, could offer many of these courses for about half that level.

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“And one of the places they could start saving money soonest, and I say this again with Dave here as I think it’s as well we have these issues out in the open, is his own salary and that of his senior management team.

“Dave is paid a salary of £295,000 for leading a public service institution. He has 10 staff at his university who are paid over £100,000.